History Commemorates 40th Anniversary Of Moon Walk With Moonshot

Even for those of us who weren’t around when it happened, Neil Armstrong’s infamous walk on the moon was a pretty big deal. Most of the historic event as we know it centers on the fact that it happened, but there’s a whole story of exactly how it happened and that’s what the History Channel is set to showcase with their upcoming special, Moonshot..

Here’s History’s brief synopsis:

“When a U.S. astronaut stepped onto the lunar surface it was one of the most chronicled events in history— the spectacular “giant leap for mankind” that signaled the conquest of a new frontier and cemented America’s place at the forefront of human achievement. Forty years after the breathtaking mission that changed the world, HISTORY™ tells the story of Apollo 11 from the perspective of the three very different, and very strong personalities that made up its intrepid crew, in MOONSHOT, a two-hour special premiering Monday, July 20 at 8pm ET on HISTORY.”

Moonshot will tell the story of Neil Armstrong, Edwin “Buzz” Aldrin and Michael Collins’ journey to the moon. Starting with their days as trainees and going all the way through to the eight-day flight that took them to the moon and back, the dramatization of the Apollo 11 flight will use original NASA archival footage (converted to High-Def), news footage from around the world, mission transcripts, background interviews and other materials to tell the story.

What appeals to me most about this special is that History appears to be looking at the event not only from the perspectives of the astronauts or NASA but also from the world’s point of view. Having been more about a decade after Apollo 11 made it to the moon, I think it’ll be interesting to get a glimpse at what this major event was like, set in the context of the time it took place.